Hookes accused 'an angry man'

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The cricket coach David Hookes was killed by an unlawful knockout punch delivered deliberately by an angry young man, a jury was told yesterday.

The prosecutor, Ray Elston, SC, said the bouncer, Zdravko Micevic, now 23, pursued Hookes for almost 100 metres before punching him hard in the face.

He said Hookes, 48, who was trying to leave, was unprepared for the blow, which was unlawful and culpably dangerous.

Mr Elston was delivering his closing address to the Supreme Court jury in Melbourne in the trial of Micevic, who has pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter of Hookes. The jury has heard Hookes fell backwards, hitting his head on the road, after Micevic punched him on the night of January 18, 2004. Hookes died the next night in hospital.

Witnesses described a group of people moving from the Beaconsfield Hotel at St Kilda to a nearby street after Hookes was ejected from the hotel. Micevic, one of the hotel security staff on the night of January 18, said he ejected Hookes after being sworn at when he called "last drinks".